Kathryn Hansen, PhD, MSN

Kathryn Hansen, PhD, MSN, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, joins the Board of Directors under Position 1.  Kathryn currently serves as the Director of Integrative Health Programming at the Osher Center for Integrative Health Vanderbilt Medical Center as well as the Director of the Lifestyle and Integrative Health Fellowship for Vanderbilt Medical Center. She is grateful for the Academic Consortium’s leadership in integrative medicine research, education, and clinical care, and believes that the organization’s work closely aligns with her own path as a massage therapist, nurse, nurse practitioner and academic. Kathryn looks forward to supporting the Board of Directors as they work to preserve and strengthen this work in the face of rapidly shifting local, national and international environments.

Iman Majd, MD, MSA, L.Ac

Iman Majd, MD, MSA, L.Ac, of the University of Washington, joins the Board of Directors under Position 2. Throughout his career, Iman has been committed to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting education and research, and supporting the inclusion of nonconventional therapies and healing practices within contemporary biomedical care. He currently serves as Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at University of Washington. While on the Board of Directors, Iman is looking forward to contributing more actively to the Academic Consortium’s leadership, strategic vision, and collaborative initiatives across institutions and helping to advance innovation, advocacy, and interprofessional collaboration in integrative health at a national level.

The officers for the Board of Directors for 2026-2027 will be:

• Chair, Gloria Yeh, MD, MPH, of Harvard Medical School
• Vice Chair, Iman Majd, MD, MSA, L.Ac, of the University of Washington
• Secretary, David Victorson, PhD, of Northwestern University
• Treasurer, Jim Kimbrough of University of Arizona-Tucson 

Newly elected candidates, as well as officers, will assume their roles on July 1, 2026. A full list of the Board of Directors can be found here.

We are immensely grateful for the service and deep commitment of our outgoing Board Members, Sian Cotton, PhD and Lauray MacElhern, MBA, who have cultivated the mission and vision of the Academic Consortium and driven the strategic growth and direction of the organization over the past several years.

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What is Integrative Medicine and Health: Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the important relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

Who we are: For integrative medicine professionals and students at academic health centers and health systems, the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health is the world’s most comprehensive community for advancing the practice of whole health, with leading expertise in research, clinical care, and education.  By consolidating the top institutions in the integrative medicine space, all working in unison towards a common goal, and as an established resource for world-class research, results, and expertise, ACIMH is a home for Champions of Whole Health from across the globe.  Together with our prestigious network of members, we advocate for change, support important breakthroughs, and connect key stakeholders to help achieve health care that embraces and empowers every person. Member Listing

Our Vision: A transformed healthcare system promoting integrative medicine and health for all.

Become a member: Join the world’s leading academic community of whole health leaders and luminaries.

NCCIH Director announces retirement and new role with the Academic Consortium.

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — September 18, 2025 — The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health (Academic Consortium) is honored to announce that Dr. Helene M. Langevin will join the organization in January 2026 as Senior Advisor on Scientific Communications, following her retirement as Director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).

The Academic Consortium extends its heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Langevin on her retirement from NCCIH, where she has served with distinction as Director since 2018. She announced her retirement earlier today, marking the culmination of years of transformational leadership in whole person health research at the National Institutes of Health. In this next chapter, she will join the Academic Consortium part-time as Senior Advisor on Scientific Communications, helping to amplify the science of integrative medicine, whole health, and positive health processes through strategic communications.

“Dr. Langevin has been a transformational leader in whole person health research, and we are thrilled she will continue advancing that vision with the Academic Consortium. Her new role will help ensure that the science of integrative medicine and whole health is communicated powerfully to support its translation into practice.” — Samantha Simmons, MPH, CEO

Dr. Langevin’s impact at NCCIH has been widely recognized across the field. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, is dedicated to rigorous scientific investigation of complementary and integrative health approaches, with a mission to define their usefulness, safety, and roles in improving health and health care. As Director, Dr. Langevin championed the whole person health framework for research, expanded the Center’s funding portfolio, and strengthened cross-disciplinary collaboration.

“Dr. Langevin’s leadership at NCCIH has been pivotal in advancing the science of whole person health. Her commitment to rigorous research has elevated the field and created opportunities for meaningful change in how health care is understood and delivered.” — Sian Cotton, PhD, Board Chair

“I am honored to serve as Senior Advisor on Scientific Communication at the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health at a potentially watershed moment in US health care.  I look forward to working with the research, clinical and education communities to embrace the opportunities ahead.” – Helene M. Langevin, MD    

Dr. Langevin has been a tireless champion for advancing the science and application of whole person health research and positive health processes, and the Academic Consortium is honored to welcome her in this next chapter, ensuring her voice continues to shape the field’s future while celebrating her extraordinary career to date. She will begin her new role with the Academic Consortium in January 2026.

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About the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health

The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health (the Academic Consortium, or ACIMH) is the world’s most comprehensive community for advancing the practice of whole health, with leading expertise in research, clinical care, and education. Our more than 80 member institutions are exclusively academic health centers and health systems across the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Korea and Mexico. Together, we serve as the premier organizational home for champions of whole health, working collectively to transform the healthcare system by promoting integrative medicine and whole health for all.

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Media Contact:

Amber Lesko, Director of Marketing & Communications
Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health
Email: amber.lesko@imconsortium.org | Phone: (269) 264-9261

Global Advances helps to demonstrate our community’s commitment to building the evidence base for how integrative strategies can improve patient outcomes and fostering whole systems thinking and approaches. Receiving an impact factor reinforces the journal’s place as a valuable, reliable source for the most updated information, new opportunities, and exciting innovations in the whole health space. 

The Academic Consortium Board of Directors would like to extend their congratulations to the Global Advances Co-Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors for their work leading up to this achievement.

• Erik Groessl, PhD (Co-Editor-in-Chief)
• Frederick Hecht, MD (Co-Editor-in-Chief)
• Jessica Bayes, PhD
• Carrie Brintz, PhD
• Patrick Corr, PhD
• Neha Gothe, PhD
• Michelle Loy, MD
• Tetsuhiro Yoshino, MD, PhD, FACP

For more information about the journal, please visit: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/GAM

Consider submitting your work to the official journal of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health: https://journals.sagepub.com/author-instructions/GAM 

July 24, 2025 –The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health (Academic Consortium) is pleased to share the outcome of a multi-year effort by a dedicated, multi-disciplinary Task Force of experts to update and ensure continued academic and clinical excellence in Integrative Medicine Fellowships. Their collaborative efforts yielded a proposal of a revised set of IM fellowship core competencies that center health equity, cultural humility, and whole-person care, which will ultimately better prepare future clinicians to meet the needs of all patients.

Lauray MacElhern, MBA, of the University of California, San Diego, continues her tenure on the Board of Directors under Position 1 until June 2026, to provide strategic oversight and overlap of in-depth financial responsibilities for the next Treasurer. Lauray has served on the Academic Consortium Board of Directors since 2022, and brings a wealth of experience to the Board as the managing director of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine. 

James Kimbrough of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, and the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, joins the Board of Directors under Position 2. James brings experience in finance, business operations, and systems with over 30 years of cross-sector experience. With this appointment, James hopes to advance integrative medicine through education, research, and clinical innovation, while addressing the evolving needs of institutional members. 

Leigh Frame, PhD, MHS, of George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, joins the Board of Directors under Position 3. Dr. Frame brings over a decade of experience in leadership in integrative medicine, nutritional immunology, and whole-person care. With this appointment, Dr. Frame plans to bring strategic vision, collaborative leadership, and a translational mindset to help the Academic Consortium navigate emerging opportunities and challenges.  

Dr. Frame has been actively engaged with the Academic Consortium since 2018, serving as a chair of several committees and an Editorial Board Member of Global Advances in Integrative Medicine & Health.  

John Finnell, ND, PhD, MPH, DiplOM, FAIHM, of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Whole Health and Integrative Health Services, joins the Board of Directors under Position 4. Dr. Finnell brings expertise in education, research, and practice in the field of integrative medicine and health, in addition to experience in environmental sustainability and public health. With this appointment, Dr. Finnell intends to contribute his experience to support and enhance collaboration across systems.  

Dr. Finnell currently serves as the Clinical Director for Whole Health at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, and is an Associate Clinical Scientist at Bastyr University Research Institute.  

Our new Directors will join the returning Board of Directors, Chair Sian Cotton, PhD, of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati; Gloria Yeh, MD, MPH, Vice Chair, of Harvard Medical School, Marni Hillinger, MD, of Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, and David Victorson, PhD, of Northwestern University.  

Newly elected candidates will assume their roles on June 25, 2025. These positions will be held from June 2025 – June 2028, with the exception of Position 1, which will be held through June 2026.  

We are immensely grateful for the service and deep commitment of our outgoing Board Members, who have cultivated the mission and vision of the Academic Consortium and driven the strategic growth and direction of the organization over the past several years.  

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What is Integrative Medicine and Health: Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the important relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

Who we are: For integrative medicine professionals and students at academic health centers and health systems, the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health is the world’s most comprehensive community for advancing the practice of whole health, with leading expertise in research, clinical care, and education.  By consolidating the top institutions in the integrative medicine space, all working in unison towards a common goal, and as an established resource for world-class research, results, and expertise, ACIMH is a home for Champions of Whole Health from across the globe.  Together with our prestigious network of members, we advocate for change, support important breakthroughs, and connect key stakeholders to help achieve health care that embraces and empowers every person.

Our Vision: A transformed healthcare system promoting integrative medicine and health for all.

Become a member: Join the world’s leading academic community of whole health leaders and luminaries.

Dr. Helene Langevin, MD, Director of NCCIH, shared in her recent Director’s Message:

“NCCIH will interact with the Coalition through events such as scientific meetings, retreats, roundtable discussions, webinars, and listening sessions, including an inaugural meeting this Fall. Interactions with the Coalition’s volunteer representatives will foster information sharing, bring valuable external perspectives to NCCIH’s work, and conversely, ensure that stakeholders are aware of and can amplify NCCIH’s research. This two-way flow of information and forum for collaboration will help to tackle important challenges related to the work of advancing research on whole person health, such as building greater research capacity, fostering interpersonal collaboration, and identifying the most promising areas of research.”

The collective hope of the Coalition is that building upon the strong evidence base to support the safety and usefulness of whole person approaches and connecting organizations with expertise and passion in this area will advance the field and help drive change in health care.

NCCIH Coalition for Whole Person Health Steering Committee

The Coalition’s Steering Committee will be led by Academic Consortium CEO, Samantha Simmons, MPH, and Amy Mack, MSES/MPA, CEO of the Institute for Functional Medicine. Together, they will serve as Co-Chairs and lead a steering committee of eight founding member organizations:

Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health
Represented by Samantha Simmons, MPH

American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Represented by Kaitlyn Pauly, MS, RD, DipACLM

American Holistic Nurses Association
Represented by Terri Roberts, JD, RN

Academy for Integrative Health and Medicine
Represented by Liza Goldblatt, PhD, MHA/PA

Cornerstone Collaboration
Represented by Tracy Gaudet, MD

Institute for Functional Medicine
Represented by Amy Mack, MSES/MPA

Integrative Health Policy Consortium
Represented by Margaret Chesney, PhD, MS

Teaching Kitchen Collaborative
Represented by David Eisenberg, MD

WholeHealthEd
Represented by Taylor Walsh

Join the NCCIH Coalition for Whole Person Health

Eligible 501(c)3, 501(c)4, and 501(c)6 organizations may contact Mary Beth Kester for more information about eligibility criteria and applying for membership.

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What is Integrative Medicine and Health: Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the important relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

Who we are: For integrative medicine professionals and students at academic health centers and health systems, the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health is the world’s most comprehensive community for advancing the practice of whole health, with leading expertise in research, clinical care, and education.  By consolidating the top institutions in the integrative medicine space, all working in unison towards a common goal, and as an established resource for world-class research, results, and expertise, ACIMH is a home for Champions of Whole Health from across the globe.  Together with our prestigious network of members, we advocate for change, support important breakthroughs, and connect key stakeholders to help achieve health care that embraces and empowers every person. Member Listing

Our Vision: A transformed healthcare system promoting integrative medicine and health for all.

Become a member: Join the world’s leading academic community of whole health leaders and luminaries.

Support Our Work: Support the work of Champions of Whole Health around the world.

Gloria Yeh, MD, MPH of Harvard Medical School will be joining the Board of Directors as Vice-Chair for 2024 through 2026. Dr. Yeh has been a part of the Academic Consortium since its inception, bringing over 25 years of institutional knowledge to the Board. Dr. Yeh has served in multiple capacities within the Academic Consortium, including her work with the International Congress on Integrative Medicine & Health with the Scientific Review Committee, the Oversight Committee, and past Program Committees as both Co-Chair and Chair. Dr. Yeh currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Global Advances in Integrative Medicine & Health, the official journal of the Academic Consortium

Former Vice-Chair, Sian Cotton, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati will be stepping into the role of Board Chair, as Amy Locke, MD of the University of Utah transitions to Immediate Past Chair for one year.

Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH of Harvard Medical School will join the Board of Directors as an At-Large Director, serving from 2024 through 2027. Dr. Mehta brings a longstanding history and commitment to the Academic Consortium after many years of leadership and membership. Dr. Mehta’s work with the Academic Consortium includes service on the Education Committee, and chairing the Nominations Committee and Membership Committee, as well as his contributions to the International Congress on past Abstract Review Committees and Program Committees. Dr. Mehta currently leads the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group within the Academic Consortium.

David Victorson, PhD, of Northwestern University joins the Board of Directors as an At-Large Director, serving from 2024 through 2027. Dr. Victorson brings over ten years of membership and experience within the Academic Consortium, with numerous contributions to the organization over the years. Dr. Victorson has served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Research Working Group and past Program Committees, Founding Co-Chair of the Nature and Health Special Interest Group, and on the Abstract Review Committee for several International Congresses. Dr. Victorson is also a regular submitter of research findings, and serves as Co-Guest Editor of the Nature and Health Special Collection with Global Advances in Integrative Medicine & Health.

Marni Hillinger, MD, of Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, joins the Board of Directors as an At-Large Director, serving from 2024 through 2027. Dr. Hillinger has been involved with the Academic Consortium since 2015, and brings an immense amount of experience and expertise in leading Academic Consortium programs and committees. Dr. Hillinger served as both Vice Chair and Chair of the Clinical Working Group, and as a mentor, core faculty, and Director of the Academic Consortium’s Leadership and Education Program for Students in Integrative Medicine (LEAPS into IM). Dr. Hillinger continues to hold the title of Director of the LEAPS Program, with the next retreat taking place in June of 2024. 

Drs. Mehta, Victorson, and Hillinger will join returning At-Large Directors, Iman Majd, MD, MS, L.Ac/EAMP of the University of Washington, and Kavitha Reddy, MD, FACEP, ABoIM, of the Veterans Health Administration. Shelley Adler, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, J. Adam Rindfleisch, MPhil, MD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Suzanna M. Zick, ND, MPH, of the University of Michigan will be transitioning out of their roles as At-Large Directors.

Newly elected candidates will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2024 Members Meeting on April 10^th, 2024. We are immensely grateful for the service and deep commitment of our outgoing Board Members, who have cultivated the mission and vision of the Academic Consortium and driven the strategic growth and direction of the organization over the past several years.

________________________________

What is Integrative Medicine and Health: Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the important relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

Who we are: For integrative medicine professionals and students at academic health centers and health systems, the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health is the world’s most comprehensive community for advancing the practice of whole health, with leading expertise in research, clinical care, and education.  By consolidating the top institutions in the integrative medicine space, all working in unison towards a common goal, and as an established resource for world-class research, results, and expertise, ACIMH is a home for Champions of Whole Health from across the globe.  Together with our prestigious network of members, we advocate for change, support important breakthroughs, and connect key stakeholders to help achieve health care that embraces and empowers every person.

Our Vision: A transformed healthcare system promoting integrative medicine and health for all.

Become a member: Join the world’s leading academic community of whole health leaders and luminaries.

The momentum is palpable for the advancement of the type of care you champion, and the time is now. Our commitment is to amplify your work, your best clinical practices, your research, and your innovations in education, all while maintaining the special community that has been created together. Amy Locke, MD, Board Chair of the Academic Consortium shared, “the Board and I feel strongly that this is a powerful, cohesive way to tell the story of the organization and that it will resonate with our membership and beyond. Now is the time to make our voices louder as we drive transformation in health care, and this new platform will help us do that even more effectively.”

You’ll start to see new logos, colors, and messaging in the coming months – but the heart of our commitment to our members remains the same as ever. We are here to connect you and other stakeholders, share the latest research, and advocate alongside you for change. Thank you for all you do to champion whole health.

Questions about our new look? Contact us.

VICE-CHAIR
Sian Cotton, PhD
Turner Farm Foundation Chair
Director, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness 
Professor, Dept of Family & Community Medicine, Division of Integrative Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

SECRETARY
Cara Feldman-Hunt, MA, NBC-HWC   
Director, Integrative Health, University of Vermont Medical Center

TREASURER
Lauray MacElhern, MBA
Managing Director, University of California, San Diego –
Centers for Integrative Health

AT-LARGE DIRECTORS

Iman Majd, MD, MS, L.Ac/EAMP
University of Washington: Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept of Family Medicine; Interim Director, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine; Clinic Director, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and Attending Physician, University of Washington Med Center and Neighborhood Clinics

Kavitha Reddy, MD, FACEP, ABoIM
Associate Director, Employee Whole Health, Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCC & CT), VHA
Emergency Medicine Attending Physician, VA St. Louis Health Care System
Assistant Clinical Professor, Dept of Emergency Medicine,
Washington University School of Medicine

These new board members will join existing board members starting May 22, 2022: Incoming Chair: Amy Locke, MD, Immediate Past Chair, Francoise Adan, MD, At-Large members: Adam Rindfleisch, MD, Suzanna Zick, ND, MPH and Shelley Adler, MD.

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What is Integrative Medicine and Health: Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the important relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

Who we are: The Academic Consortium is the organizational home for 78 of the world’s most prestigious academic health centers and health systems that have programs in integrative medicine and health.  The Academic Consortium was founded in 1999 by eight academic health centers (Duke University, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco, University of Arizona, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts, and the University of Minnesota). The Academic Consortium represents thousands of scientists, educators, clinicians, and other health professionals who share an interest in the field of integrative medicine and health. Member Listing

Our Vision: A transformed healthcare system promoting integrative medicine and health for all.

Become a member: Join the world's leading academic community of whole health leaders and luminaries. 

• Pain management to reduce opioid use
  
• Non-pharmacologic therapy for post-surgical pain, cancer pain and chronic pain
  
• Options for addressing system and reimbursement barriers to coordinated, comprehensive health care, focused on overall health and wellness of each patient.

Rick Hecht, MD
Immediate Past Chair
University of California, San Francisco

Sarah Ingersoll, MS, MBA, RN
Treasurer
University of Southern California

Ray Teets, MD
Secretary
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; The Institute for Family Health

Scott Mist, Ph.D., MAcOM
Member-at-Large
Oregon Health & Science University

Arya Nielsen, Ph.D.
Member-at-Large
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Alison Whitehead, MPH, RYT500
Member-at-Large
Veterans Health Administration

Suzanna Zick, ND, MPH
Member-at-Large
University of Michigan

The Academic Consortium is honored to welcome Dr. Amy Locke as the Academic Consortium’s Vice-Chair for 2020-2022. Dr. Locke is the Co-Director of the Resiliency Center at the University of Utah. She completed her medical degree and residency training from the University of Michigan Medical School where she also served as Director of Integrative Family Medicine and directed the integrative medicine fellowship program before joining the University of Utah in 2015. She currently serves on the Academic Consortium’s Board of Directors and is a past Education Working Group Chair.

“It is a great honor to be elected as Vice-Chair for the Consortium. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming years to move the field of Integrative Medicine forward as a routine part of Academic Medical care,” said Amy about her new position.